PALMER – A poll commissioned by Northeast Realty showed that nearly 65 percent of residents support a resort casino on land that it owns across from Massachusetts Turnpike exit 8 on Thorndike Street, down slightly from a similar poll conducted three years ago.

The poll was conducted by Market Street Research in Northampton over a six-day period, from Nov. 16 to 21, and 300 residents were called. The response rate was 23.2 percent, with a margin of error of 3.3 to 5.6 percentage points.

Three years ago, when the same question was posed by the same firm, 71 percent of residents were in favor of the resort casino at the same spot. Northeast is leasing approximately 150 acres to Connecticut-based Mohegan Sun to build a resort casino there. But that plan has been held up as casino gaming still is not legal in Massachusetts.

And while a casino bill came close to passing last summer, disagreements between Gov. Deval L. Patrick and the Legislature over slot machines at the state’s two former dog tracks and two horse tracks stalled it.

The Legislature in July approved a bill for three casino resorts, including one in Western Massachusetts, and two licenses to be bid for slot machines at the state’s two former dog tracks and two horse tracks. Patrick supported only one license for slots, however.

The casino issue is expected to resurface when the Legislature reconvenes in January.

In the most recent poll, residents were asked, “Shall the town of Palmer allow a hotel/conference center resort with entertainment and casino gaming on 150 acres located opposite the Palmer turnpike exit on Route 32?”

A total of 64.8 percent were in favor, 30.3 percent were opposed and 4.9 percent were undecided. The median age of respondents was 44, with 51.6 percent living in town for 20 years or more. The median household income was $46,400. Male residents were more likely to support the casino development, 72.3 percent, compared to 59.5 percent of females.

Paul Robbins, spokesman for Northeast, said residents still support a casino in Palmer by a 2:1 margin, and said he wouldn’t read much into the change from 71 percent to 65 percent.

James L. St. Amand, Northeast’s community liaison, said it is time for the casino gaming issue to be resolved once and for all.

“The polls are overwhelmingly in favor. It’s simply time that Senator (Stephen) Brewer and to a lesser extent, Representative (Todd) Smola, pay attention to the will of the people .¤.¤. the people in Palmer want a casino. Poll numbers don’t lie,” St. Amand said.

St. Amand was alluding to the no votes both Brewer and Smola cast on casino legislation this summer.

Brewer, D-Barre, said one of the reasons he opposed the bill was because it did not have enough mitigation money. Brewer added that if casino gaming is legalized, it does not mean Palmer will get a casino. It will be an open and competitive process for a license, he said.

Said Smola, R-Palmer, “At the end of the day the casino issue is not the primary issue for me as a legislator. It’s the bill. I wish people who are pro-casino gaming in Palmer or anywhere else would pay attention to that. The poll has nothing to do with the legislation that is before us.”

Smola said his main problem with the bill was allowing licenses for the slot parlors.

“They can keep doing all these polls. They can keep doing them ‘til the cows come home ... At the end of the day, substance matters. You can’t vote for this thing and hope it all works out later. There’s a reason why we’ve been debating it for 20, 30 years,” Smola said.

Kathleen C. Norbut, an anti-casino leader from Monson, called the poll “boring and redundant” and “simply not newsworthy.”